9 February 20236 February 2023 Aker Carbon Capture enters Finnish Power-to-X market The St1 Power-to-Methanol Lappeenranta project use the hard-to-abate carbon dioxide emissions from the limestone raw-material at the Finnsementti factory
8 February 20236 February 2023 Entwicklung neuer Biopolymere aus Meeresorganismen Forscher für biobasierte und biologisch abbaubare Kunststoffe an der Université Bretagne Sud und sein Team arbeiten für das EU-Projekt NenuPHAr
Holcim’s Carbon2Business project receives €109.8 million in EU funding Carbon2Business is one of two projects in Germany and 17 projects in total that the EU is funding with around €1.8 billion from the innovation fund
7 February 20236 February 2023 Replacing single-use plastic film with algae-based biodegradable edible film A promising project in line with the EU objectives of fighting plastic pollution aims to create a substitute for single-use plastic film in conserving frozen fish
6 February 20231 February 2023 AIMPLAS collaborates in a new European project to make blueprint for reducing textile waste by 80% The tExtended project started last December and will achieve this objective by developing and demonstrating effective textile recovery, waste valorization and recycling processes
1 February 20232 March 2023 Monthly news from the Renewable Carbon Initiative (RCI), January 2023 Lets take a look at what happened in January 2023 at RCI
26 January 20232 February 2023 New tailwind for renewable carbon plastics in EU policy? nova-Institute’s take on the recently published EU proposal for a Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation as well as the new policy framework for biobased, biodegradable and compostable plastics
23 January 202320 January 2023 Cellulose Fibre Innovation of the Year 2023 – From Hygiene Products, Sustainability Improved Technologies to Cellulose from Textile Waste and Banana Production Waste Six award nominees will present promising sustainable solutions for the industry in the field of cellulose fibres value chains. The full innovation potential of the cellulose fibre industry will be displayed to a wide audience in Cologne (Germany), and online
„Cellulose Fibre Innovation of the Year 2023“ – Von Hygieneprodukten und nachhaltigen Technologien bis hin zu Cellulose aus Altkleidern und Bananenproduktionsabfällen Sechs Nominierte stellen vielversprechende nachhaltige Lösungen entlang der gesamten industriellen Wertschöpfungskette der Cellulosefasern vor. Das gesamte Innovationspotenzial der Cellulosefaser-Industrie wird in Köln und online einem breiten Publikum vorgestellt
11 January 20236 January 2023 EU countries prepare for textile recycling big bang A 2021 report by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre found that around 4-6% of the EU’s overall environmental footprint can be traced back to textiles
6 January 202328 December 2022 EU Commission chief hails ‘historic’ COP15 biodiversity accord After two weeks of fraught negotiations, world nations gathered in Montreal adopted on Monday (19 December) a new package to address the loss of biodiversity and restore natural ecosystems
Welt beschließt „historisches“ COP15-Artenschutzabkommen Nach zwei Wochen schwieriger Verhandlungen haben die in Montreal versammelten Nationen am Montag ein neues Paket zum Schutz der Biodiversität und zur Wiederherstellung natürlicher Ökosysteme verabschiedet
5 January 20232 January 2023 European Green Deal: Putting an end to wasteful packaging, boosting reuse and recycling New proposals of the European Commission are key building blocks of the European Green Deal's Circular Economy Action Plan and its objective to make sustainable products the norm
EU-Verpackungsverordnung: Von Anfang an im Kreislauf denken Die EU-Kommission will mit ihrem neuen Entwurf einer Verpackungsverordnung darauf setzen, die von Verpackungsabfällen ausgehenden Umweltwirkungen entlang des gesamten Lebensweges zu mindern
Fünf europäische Pilotregionen schließen sich für die Bioökonomie zusammen Die BIOPRO Baden-Württemberg beteiligt sich am Projekt ROBIN von Horizon Europe, um die Beteiligung von regionalen Bioökonomie-Strategien europaweit zu verbessern
Five European pilot regions are joining forces for the bioeconomy BIOPRO Baden-Württemberg participates in the Horizon Europe ROBIN project to improve the participation of regional bioeconomy strategies and related policies across Europe
3 January 202322 December 2022 EU agrees carbon market overhaul in bid to hit 2030 climate goal European Union negotiators reached agreement early on Sunday morning (18 December) to reform the EU’s Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), the biggest carbon market in the world and the bloc’s flagship climate policy instrument
EU einigt sich auf umfassende Reform des CO₂-Emissionshandels Die Unterhändler der EU haben sich am frühen Sonntagmorgen (18. Dezember) auf eine Reform des europäischen Emissionshandels (ETS) geeinigt, dem größten Kohlenstoffmarkt der Welt und wichtigsten klimapolitischen Instrument der EU
2 January 202321 December 2022 European Green Deal: Commission proposes certification of carbon removals to help reach net zero emissions The European Commission adopted a proposal for afirst EU-wide voluntary framework to reliably certify high-quality carbon removals
Europäischer Grüner Deal: Kommission schlägt Zertifizierung der CO2-Entnahme vor, um zu Klimaneutralität beizutragen Die Europäische Kommission hat heute einen Vorschlag für einen ersten EU-weiten freiwilligen Rahmen zur zuverlässigen Zertifizierung hochwertiger CO2-Entnahmen angenommen
22 December 202220 December 2022 EU agrees new law to kick deforestation out of supply chains EU legislators reached an agreement in the early hours of Tuesday (6 December) to pass a new law guaranteeing that products sold in the EU are not linked to the destruction or degradation of forests
Entwaldungsfreie Lieferketten: EU-Gesetz kommt Die EU-Gesetzgeber haben sich darauf geeinigt, ein neues Gesetz zu verabschieden, das garantiert, dass in der EU verkaufte Produkte nicht mit der Zerstörung oder Schädigung von Wäldern in Zusammenhang stehen
21 December 202215 December 2022 EU Commission launches industry alliance for ‘made in Europe’ solar PV The European Commission on Friday (9 December) officially launched the EU’s solar photovoltaic industry alliance, with the aim of regaining production lost to China and establishing a “Made in Europe” industry
19 December 202214 December 2022 Air Liquide, Fluxys Belgium and Port of Antwerp-Bruges awarded EU funding for building the Antwerp@C CO2 Export Hub The project, named “Antwerp@C CO2 Export Hub”, is set up as an open-access infrastructure to transport, liquefy and load CO2 onto ships for onward permanent offshore storage
15 December 202212 December 2022 Communication on a policy framework for biobased, biodegradable and compostable plastics Questions and Answers that seek to deepen knowledge of these substances and make clear the areas where plastics can actually assist the environment
13 December 20227 December 2022 Proposed new packaging rules acknowledge environmental and climate benefits of compostable plastic packaging Commission misses opportunity to fully embrace necessary shift to biobased feedstock
EU packaging law proposal branded ‘unworkable’ by food industry A new EU packaging law proposal has sparked major concerns among the EU food industry, who warn it is unworkable for food business operators – but NGOs slammed heavy industry lobbying for watering down the proposal
EU-Verpackungsgesetz sorgt in Landwirtschaftssektor für Furore Ein neuer Vorschlag für ein EU-Verpackungsgesetz hat in der EU-Lebensmittelindustrie große Besorgnis ausgelöst
2 December 202230 November 2022 Electrochaea Joins New European Cleantech Scale-Up Coalition, Supported by Breakthrough Energy and Kadri Simson The coalition members are companies scaling and industrialising technologies whose products and services range from decarbonising industry and energy with renewable hydrogen to producing scalable low-carbon cement; from electrifying transport to recycling materials and batteries
1 December 202229 November 2022 NGO, biofuel industry clash over vegan food from ethanol Non-governmental organisation Transport and Environment (T&E) and the ethanol industry have clashed over the latter’s increasing interest in producing vegan food in addition to biofuel, which aims to end the long-standing “food versus fuel” argument
22 November 202217 November 2022 In focus: Renewable hydrogen to decarbonise the EU’s energy system With an accelerated deployment, the share of hydrogen in the EU’s energy mix could be as much as 13-20% in 2050
15 November 202210 November 2022 Bioeconomy strategies in EU regions. Where are we? Research shows there's a growing number of regional bioeconomy strategies following the launch of the revised EU Bioeconomy strategy in 2018
10 November 20227 November 2022 Burning or recycling? EU weighs options on used tyres Draft EU rules could see millions of tyres shipped outside of Europe for dumping or incineration, recyclers warn
9 November 20223 November 2022 Finland to likely reject Brussels’ biodiversity strategy Finland may vote against the Biodiversity Strategy tabled by the Commission, said Prime Minister Sanna Marin after the parliament committee opposed Brussels’ involvement in the country’s forest policy
Waldpolitik: Finnland könnte EU-Biodiversitätsstrategie blockieren Finnland wird möglicherweise gegen die von der Kommission vorgelegte Biodiversitätsstrategie stimmen, da diese als Einmischung Brüssels in die Waldpolitik des Landes wahrgenommen wird
3 November 202231 October 2022 Biorefineries – the engine of the bio-based economy The European Union is investing billions of euros in biorefineries that can develop products based on organic materials and help decrease the bloc’s reliance on oil and gas
27 October 202231 October 2022 Only four weeks left for your abstract submission: Cellulose Fibres Conference 2023 8–9 March 2023 – hybrid event (on site and online), Cologne (Germany)
EU report flags ‘crucial role’ of bioeconomy for energy and food security With Russia’s war in Ukraine, the European Commission is rediscovering the virtues of bioeconomy for the EU’s energy independence and food security. But it also acknowledges that trade-offs need to be addressed in order to avoid harming the environment
26 October 202225 October 2022 ‘Biomass availability gap’ looms large over EU’s green bioeconomy "Studies suggest that the gap between the potential demand for biomass and its sustainable supply can be as big as 40-70%" by 2050 depending on the scenarios, said to John Bell
17 October 202212 October 2022 EU Commission presents the findings of the EU Bioeconomy Strategy Progress Report The high-level conference ‘The Bioeconomy – Enabling the European Green Deal in Challenging Times’ is taking place today in the Charlemagne building in Brussels
10 October 20225 October 2022 Transition to climate neutrality needs accurate accounting for biogenic carbon The Product Environmental Footprint method could become the EU’s guiding approach for environmental impact assessment; to be fit for purpose, it should appraise the carbon footprint of bio-based products
5 October 202228 September 2022 As much plastic as people by weight? Legislating a more sustainable future The Organisation for Economic Co-operation Development’s latest annual Global Plastics Outlook reports around 40% of global plastic waste as packaging, but just 9% of the plastic waste is recycled
30 September 202226 September 2022 Cefic’s counterproposal to assess the carbon footprint of bio-based products A cradle-to-gate life-cycle analysis using the PEF methodology does not give credit to biomass-derived products where CO2 was removed from the atmosphere during photosynthesis and plant growth
29 September 202226 September 2022 Transition to climate neutrality needs accurate accounting for biogenic carbon The Product Environmental Footprint method could become the EU’s guiding approach for environmental impact assessment; to be fit for purpose, it should appraise the carbon footprint of bio-based products
23 September 202220 September 2022 European Parliament backs 45% renewable energy goal for 2030 If this new objective is confirmed by EU member states in upcoming talks with Parliament later this year, the EU will have to achieve a 45% share of renewables in its overall energy mix by 2030
EU-Parlament stellt sich hinter 45%-Ziel an Erneuerbaren bis 2030 Wenn dieses Ziel von den EU-Mitgliedstaaten in den anstehenden Gesprächen mit dem Parlament noch dieses Jahr bestätigt wird, muss die EU bis 2030 einen Anteil von 45 Prozent erneuerbarer Energien an ihrem gesamten Energiemix erreichen
2 September 202230 August 2022 Warum Waldbiomasse nicht zu den „erneuerbaren“ Energien gezählt werden darf Der Umweltausschuss sieht vor, dass die Verbrennung sekundärer Biomasse weiterhin als erneuerbare Energie im Rahmen der Richtlinie angerechnet werden kann und damit Subventionen erhält
Why forest biomass must not be counted as ‘renewable’ energy The environment committee amendment still allows burning secondary biomass materials, like sawdust and bark from sawmills, to qualify as renewable energy under the RED and receive subsidies
17 August 202215 August 2022 Asahi Kasei joins European Bioplastics Asahi Kasei joined European Bioplastics (EUBP), an association of companies involved in bioplastics, in June 2022
11 August 20228 August 2022 German ministers agree on final CAP plan, split on green rule suspension German federal and state agriculture ministers have likely cleared the way for the implementation of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) at the country level, but remain divided on easing environmental requirements